Billy Crystal: Actor or Comedian?

[“When Bruno Met Billy: An Outtake from Rob Reiner’s This is Spinal Tap (1984).”]

By Jerry PDX
Monday, May 9, 2022 at 4:57:00 P.M. EDT

This is Spinal Tap (1984) is one of the great parody movies of all time, never gets old. It is an amusing bit here with Billy Crystal. He was very funny as a comic actor.

I remember his big break in Soap, back in the 70’s; he was very good in it. Then When Harry Met Sally (1989), among others, showed he had real talent on the big screen.

His stand-up, not so much. I remember thinking it was odd that an established actor would go the stand-up route. It seemed like a step backward for a guy already getting good-paying acting gigs. But his stand-up just wasn't funny. I never laughed when I saw him perform, which made it seem even weirder.

If he hadn’t already made a name in acting, I can’t believe anybody would have paid to see him do his comedy on stage. He was kind of like a poor man’s Jerry Seinfeld, and I never thought Seinfeld was all that funny.

It doesn’t help that Crystal is another Woke Hollyweird liberal. Here he is doing a gig and playing up his Jewishness (unfunnily...is that a word?) at some Jewish function, taking shots at Roseanne Barr and Trump.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rncsy4r5cHE

“Billy Crystal: No More Mr. Nice Guy.”

Of related interest:

“Bruno Kirby: Rest in Peace, Pal”; and